BERLIN, GERMANY / RankWire.AI / – The World Health Organization has introduced a five-year plan aimed at bolstering worldwide outbreak recognition. This strategy targets a goal for every nation to identify and comprehend emerging health dangers within 24 hours by 2030. The WHO revealed this plan during the World Health Summit 2026 in Berlin. According to the agency, quicker detection facilitates earlier public health responses, potentially curbing outbreaks before they spread extensively across populations or borders. Achieving the 24-hour detection benchmark provides a clear global standard for surveillance capabilities.
The WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence is tasked with leading these efforts under its strategy spanning from 2026 to 2030, operating out of Berlin. Established in 2021 with foundational support from the German government following vulnerabilities exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hub now collaborates with over 160 WHO Member States and 190 partner organizations and networks. Its scope includes surveillance, pathogen identification, data analysis, and international cooperation on emerging health threats. The Hub functions as a component of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the Hub has become integral to the global health security infrastructure since its inception. The new strategy outlines four key objectives: enhancing surveillance, accelerating detection, improving analytical processes, and establishing trustworthy digital foundations. WHO states the program will connect governments, public health authorities, scientists, and tech specialists. The organization intends to expand existing systems and broaden access to tools for rapid threat evaluation. Additionally, the strategy highlights transforming health data into actionable insights to inform public health decisions.
Five core initiatives underpin the strategy
The plan will be implemented through five interconnected initiatives focusing on open-source intelligence, pathogen surveillance, modeling, national monitoring, and digital infrastructure. Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources leverages artificial intelligence to scan thousands of public sources daily for potential health threats. WHO reports that this system serves more than 125 Member States and 30 regional and international organizations. Its global EIOS community includes over 4,000 experts supporting health threat detection and assessment. This platform offers participating authorities real-time access to publicly available information.
The International Pathogen Surveillance Network enhances capabilities in genomic sequencing and bioinformatics to identify and understand emerging pathogens. Tedros noted that the network now involves nearly 360 partners across more than 110 countries. The Collaboratory links over 2,000 modeling and data science specialists ready to support responses when new risks emerge. Operating in more than 83 countries, the Collaborative Surveillance Initiative assists national institutions through a One Health approach. A newly introduced Digital Enablers initiative will prioritize secure data sharing, analysis, and responsible AI use.
Partnerships in Berlin extended into 2031
The WHO Hub has renewed agreements with the Robert Koch Institute and Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin through 2031. These collaborations, ongoing since 2021, focus on surveillance, genomics, data science, and public health preparedness, with support from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Health. The partnerships blend WHO’s international role with the institute’s public health expertise and Charité’s clinical and research strengths. The renewed agreements aim to continue integrating scientific research with practical public health systems.
WHO states that the 24-hour detection target remains the central goal of its Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence strategy through 2030. The Hub’s role includes assisting countries in developing systems capable of identifying threats and understanding outbreak progression. The strategy also advocates for stronger digital infrastructure, broader analytical cooperation, and enhanced pathogen surveillance. WHO will leverage its global networks to bolster national capacities for identifying and evaluating new health threats. The five-year plan builds on the initial five years of international collaboration by the Hub.